Onederful! (Day 15)

It only took me a little over six years to write this. On July 25, 2009 I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't drink until my weight was below 200 pounds.  That vow was inspired by this photo.

My wife Lisa took that of me struggling to drag myself and all my extra weight up Snake Alley at the end of  the one day RAGBRAI I rode that year.  I was never skinny, but for several years in the late 1980's and early 1990's I had participated in Snake Alley Criterium, a bike race that required us (my lowly Category 4) to ride up this 12 times.  I never (yet) finished that race, but it was always because of crashes, not because I was unable to climb it 12 times.  It disgusted me that I had let myself get that out of shape.  Partly because I was miserable from drinking all day, and partly because I knew that I tend to overeat whenever I drink, I figured not drinking would be the way to drop the weight.  At the time I weighed just under 250, which was down a bit from my high point (not sure of exact number, but was in the 260-270 range).  I figured it would take me three to six months to get below 200.  No big deal to stay sober that long.

"Fast" forward to October of 2011.  I had been without alcohol for more than two years.  I had dropped the first 10 pounds easily.  I had to work harder for the next 10, but had been hanging around the 210-220 range for awhile.  I often sabotaged my weight loss efforts, I think because I was really liking not drinking.  I set myself a target of being below 200 and drinking with my college friends at homecoming the 3rd weekend of October.  I got down to 212 the week before homecoming and then attacked it like it was a wrestling weigh-in for the last few days.  I finally got to 199 after a couple of days without food and spending a couple of hours in Eric Brush's sauna.  Mission accomplished!

But not really.  In the past four years I've gotten healthier and stronger.  I've made at least one hundred new friends who lead active, healthy lifestyles.  I've started bike racing again, riding faster than I did in my 20's.  I don't drink like I used to.  My diet is much healthier.  I've completed a few triathlons.  I even completed a marathon.

This guy is never coming back.

However, I wanted and needed to make it a permanent change.  Really, my weight should be somewhere around 180, but since I got below 200 for a few minutes in 2011, my weight was usually somewhere around 205-210.  Until now.

I'm not sure why, but for a long time I've done weekly weigh-ins on Tuesday mornings.  Maybe it was because it was a Tuesday when I started using this phone app that has been a huge part of my weight loss.  I used to always weigh when I first woke up in the morning or after a workout, so I was usually dehydrated, but now I weigh after a big glass of water and usually some coffee with lots of cream and whey powder, so I know it's my "real" weight.  Here's what I weighed at this week.

I'm never going to see anything but a one for the first number on the scale.  Partly because I'm holding myself accountable by declaring it publicly.  Partly because of the incredible support I have from my family and friends, especially "The Grind and Grit" group.  But mostly because of my own commitment to keep it "Onederful".